Die Bargada

At the far end of the Onsernone Valley lies the farmstead Bargada. For many generations, it has been owned by the Armini family. The hard physical work is carried out by the women, who toil on the farm from dawn to dusk, working in all weather conditions—sowing, milking, picking, kneading, hammering. The men—fathers, brothers, sons—venture out and maintain their traditional authority over Bargada. This is also true for the sibling pair Bernardo and Orsanna Armini. Upon his return to Bargada, Bernardo brings his wife Bellinda with him. As a newcomer from the town, she will have more say than the daughters of the household from now on. But everything can change. With great sensitivity and linguistic skill, Aline Valangin writes about patriarchal certainties and tells the moving story of the Armini women.